# CVE-2023-33839: IBM Security Verify Governance command execution

> A remote authenticated attacker can execute arbitrary commands on IBM Security Verify Governance via a specially crafted request.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 23 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 11 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-548m-xpmx-h6v4

## What is CVE-2023-33839?

CVE-2023-33839 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in IBM Security Verify Governance, published on 23 Oct 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Security Verify Governance 10.0 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the system by sending a specially crafted request.  IBM X-Force ID:  256036.

Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-33839?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Security Verify Governance.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-33839?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-33839 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-33839 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-33839 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Security Verify Governance

- [CVE-2025-36003](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36003/): IBM Security Verify Governance Identity Manager information disclosure (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2023-35019](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35019/): IBM Security Verify Governance command execution (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2022-22466](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22466/): IBM Security Verify Governance information disclosure (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2023-35016](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35016/): IBM Security Verify Governance path traversal (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2022-22458](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22458/): IBM Security Verify Governance, Identity Manager information disclosure (medium 6.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-33839 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-33839 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in IBM Security Verify Governance, published on 23 Oct 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-33839 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Security Verify Governance. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-33839/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-33839/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-33839
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-33839
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-33839

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-33839/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.